US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has urged Ukraine and Russia to focus on ending their war, warning that the conflict carries risks of escalation and could spread to neighbouring countries.
Speaking to reporters during a visit to Uzbekistan on Monday, Rubio said US President Donald Trump remained committed to ending the war, now in its fourth year.
Asked about a possible meeting involving Trump, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping to negotiate an end to the conflict, Rubio said discussions had taken place but that he did not know whether a meeting had been finalised.
“There’s been talks of a meeting. I don’t know whether it’s been finalized, but the president has been clear. He’d like the war in Ukraine and Russia to end,” Rubio said.
Rubio Warns of Wider Regional Escalation
Rubio said the conflict had brought significant risks without producing positive outcomes. He warned that military activity could spill across borders, including through failed sabotage operations or drones diverted by electronic warfare.
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“We see nothing good coming from this war,” Rubio said. He added that the conflict carried a “very real risk of escalation” and could spread into another country following an incident involving sabotage or drones.
His remarks came as Washington continued efforts to mediate a peace agreement between Moscow and Kyiv.
US Pursues Diplomacy With Russia
Rubio arrived in Samarkand on Sunday night to meet senior officials from the C5+1 grouping, which brings together the United States and five Central Asian countries: Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan.
Trump hosted leaders from the five countries at the White House last November as Washington sought to strengthen ties with the region.
Meanwhile, the US administration has pursued measures aimed at keeping Moscow engaged in negotiations, including a diesel-import agreement with Russia and the easing of some sanctions. Trump has said such steps should help keep the Kremlin at the negotiating table.
The measures have drawn criticism from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Russian Strike Hits Kyiv
The diplomatic efforts coincided with another Russian air strike on Ukraine.
A Russian attack overnight killed a woman in Kyiv, struck a subway station and damaged a 25-storey residential building, according to the supplied report.
The latest attack underscored the continuing violence as Washington seeks a negotiated settlement. No final agreement to end the war has been announced, and the prospect of a meeting involving Trump, Putin and Xi remains uncertain.
